I turn to face her, and she's only inches from my body.
"You know, Remy, I was thinking." Little droplets of water cling to her long eyelashes, and for a moment, I'm captivated by them.
"Yeah? About what?"
"About being friends."
"What about it? Am I not being a good friend?"
She drifts into me and puts a hand on my shoulder. She's so close I can feel the warmth coming off her skin. I swallow hard.
"You've been an amazing friend these past few weeks. And now that we've gotten to know each other, I was wondering if you might want to move into a different kind of friendship phase."
My eyes practically fall out of my head, I open them so wide. Is this happening for real? Please let this be real and not some dream I'll wake up from.
"Don't get me wrong, I'm still not looking for a boyfriend," she says quickly. "But a girl's got needs, you know?"
My body grows so warm that I worry that I'll heat the spring and further exacerbate climate change across the globe. "Needs? Tell me about these needs."
She comes closer, hugging me. "I thought they were pretty obvious," she purrs.
Is she seducing me? Holy cannoli. I'm toast. My hands find her waist and I pull her toward me, my mouth finding hers, because I can't control myself another moment around her. Within a millisecond, her body's wrapped around mine and we're making out. She's an amazing kisser, and I can't get enough. I don't care if all of Cypress Grove has gathered on the sand to watch, we’re doing this.
She breaks away from our kiss. "I was just thinking that since we're so attracted to each other, we should indulge. While being friends. No strings. Can you keep it casual and not get attached to me?"
Her bright, blue eyes out-sparkle the water. This is the best day of my life. Better than winning the Boca Grande fishing tournament, even.
"I think those were all supposed to be my lines," I say, my hands sliding to her hips. "And to answer your question, yes. I can maintain a friendship with benefits. I won't make demandson you. Would love something like that with you, in fact. Respectfully."
"Good," she murmurs in my ear. "But I need to feel safe, and I trust you."
"You should, because I'd never hurt you."
"So, I was thinking that we could... take it slow. And there would be no consequences. We're friends. Simple, right?"
I inhale sharply, because she's pressed against me and I'm not going to be able to think clearly in about thirty seconds. "Sounds great to me, beautiful. But what made you change your mind? Remember, you ghosted me after Lime and Salt."
"I didn't know you back then. We'd just met, and I worried I'd made a stupid decision. Thought maybe I'd picked another jerk. Turns out, I'd chosen well, because you're a good man. You've proven that these past few weeks. How you've mentored me, helped me. How you haven't tried to force yourself on me; how you've been a sweetheart."
All I can do is grin stupidly.
She cups my face in her hands. "You didn't get angry when I said I wanted only friendship, and you still stuck around. You're a gentleman, Remy Hastings."
"But I dunno if I'm much of a mentor. I think you're a better businessperson than I am."
She grins sweetly. "You listen and that means a lot."
"I love listening to you." It's true. And not just because I think she's the hottest woman I've ever seen. Leilani has great ideas, she's excited about life, and she's just plain fun to be around.
She's studying my face, her eyes serious. "I'm in this new phase of life where I'm going to declare what I want and go for it. I decided to open a bar, and I'm doing it. I decided to leave my hometown and job, and I did."
"You should be proud of yourself. I'm proud of you."
"Thanks. So, I'm putting it out there, the ball's in your court. And if you decide you don't want, ah, us, anymore, we can stop. I'm sure I can find some other friends with benefits situation, eventually. Or not."
Or notwould be my preference. "I'm up for the job and ready for immediate duty, so to speak. No need to look elsewhere."
She laughs, a low, sexy sound. "Glad to hear it. I didn't really want to find another candidate for my experiment."
